Pakistan-Kabul conflict escalates — airstrikes and drone attacks followed by 48-hour ceasefire

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) - Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban administration have agreed on a temporary ceasefire for 48 hours starting at 6:00 pm local time (13:00 GMT) on Wednesday, Islamabad said, following renewed fighting between the neighbouring countries.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that both Pakistan and Afghanistan will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through dialogue. The ministry further said that during this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue. Quoting security sources, Hum News reported that Pakistan carried out precision strikes on the hideouts of Afghan Taliban and Khawarij elements in Kandahar and Kabul, Afghanistan, destroying several Taliban battalion headquarters.

Also on Wednesday, Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused the Pakistani military of initiating border fighting by firing "light and heavy weapons" at Afghanistan, killing 12 civilians and injuring over 100. Pakistan, in its own statement, accused the Afghan Taliban of inflicting heavy losses. Meanwhile, the Pakistani military's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said Afghan Taliban fighters attacked four different locations in Spin Boldak on October 15. Pakistani security forces launched an effective and vigorous retaliation, killing 15 to 20 Taliban fighters and injuring several others.

The ISPR stated that militants in Kurram attempted to capture Pakistani border posts on the night of October 14-15 but were repulsed. The counter-attack inflicted heavy damage on enemy positions; the ISPR reported the destruction of eight militant posts and six tanks, and said approximately 25 to 30 attackers were killed. The army rejected claims that Pakistan initiated the clashes, calling such allegations false and misleading propaganda. Meanwhile, the Afghan Taliban released footage showing drone attacks destroying Pakistani posts. Clashes between the two countries began on the night of October 11-12, when Kabul accused Islamabad of carrying out airstrikes in Afghanistan that week.